If There's Smoke
by Third Person Point of View
Summary: If there's smoke, there's a fiery redhead! OoT fic. LxM fic. Takes place mostly DURING the game. Kind of how the whole Link and Malon relationship grew.
1. Castle Town and the Pottery Guard

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Zelda or any of its characters.

His legs were sore and he was frazzled, weary after the three day trek towards castle town. He came in over the drawbridge and the soldier standing guard by the left wall raised an eyebrow. He looked terrible. His breathing was labored from his desperate attempt to get to the marketplace before night fell again. He was _not_ sleeping outside again. If you can call the past two nights sleep worthy. That first night…

He shuddered thinking of it. The way the ground had exploded from almost under his feet. The sight of those beady, red eyes. The way the skeletal, foul-smelling bodies jerked with uncoordinated movements. There were dark rings of exhaustion under his eyes and his blond hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. He leaned against the wall for a second, trying not to burst from relief. The guard looked away, once again disinterested. He turned and saw the small guard shack, the wooden door tempting.

He straightened and headed for the door, throwing a wayward glance back at the soldier who continued to ignore him. He pulled open the door and inside was an empty room with another soldier standing at the end. The door closed shut behind him. Strewn all over the floor were crates and ceramic pots. He was about to walk out again when a voice spoke out.

"That's a nice little sword you got there, kid." He turned again and looked quizzically at the guard. The guard was staring at him with veiled interest. "Pretty handy craftsmanship. Yup, yup, yup. You could really do some damage with that thing."

He shrugged, still confused. What was this man getting at?

"Yup," the guard repeated, sighing. "I'm stuck in this little room, bored out of my mind with all these pots." He paused and looked at the boy again. "All these big, breakable pots. Really boring. Sometimes, it'd be nice for a little excitement. And that sword looks like it handles well. Besides, who knows what is in these pots?"

He suddenly understood the hidden desire and pulled his sword from its sheath on his back. Swinging it in a nice, even arc he connected with the first pot and it exploded in a flurry of clay-dust and broken tile. The guard's eyes widened with a devilish glint and a devious smirk curled his lips. The boy fed off the energy and continued swinging his sword gracefully, easily. Every once in a while, a couple of spare rupees would fall to the floor, but he wasn't sure if he was supposed to pick them up. At the end, when the dust settled to the floor, he put his sword back in his sheath.

It had been an odd exercise, but the guard gave an audible sigh of what sounded like relief and satisfaction. He turned to go again.

"Wait, aren't you going to take your money? You earned it."

He hesitated only a second before collecting the rupees that were littered on the floor. At the end of it all, there was about thirty rupees in his small wallet. He grinned a thanks, suddenly and unexpectedly refueled, and sprinted out the room. The outside gave him one more confused, sidelong glance, then ignored him once more. Finally, he turned and headed out into the busy, surprisingly loud marketplace.


	2. Fairies and Flame

He took in the sights, the smells, the _feel_ of the bustling, busy marketplace. It was shocking and overwhelming, so different from everything he was used to. Everyone here was on a particular mission, bushing by each other in an attempt to get to places quickly, coming in and out of stores. There were merchants yelling out deals, mothers firmly pulling their screaming children along on grocery trips, there was a woman with a yapping puppy running about, there was a pair of enthused lovers dancing in their own world… it was chaos! Utter and complete chaos… and he liked it. It was a safe, certain chaos, the chaos of society.

However, after a few minutes, he realized it was frightening in its own way. The people were too immersed in their own problems to cast a secondary glance at the poor lost little Kokiri boy. That is, if they even graced him with a _first_ glance. He was stumbling along, looking around awed. He bumped into several people, and would've muttered an apology, but they hadn't even stopped long enough for him to open his mouth and speak.

_Focus_, he told himself, _you need to do what you came here to do._

From the mayhem, the rousing roar of haggling, selling, buying, laughing, yelling, screaming, and cursing, there came a sweet, tinkling, distinctive giggle. He turned his head, catching the sound and holding onto it. It seemed to be the only thing that had been directed towards him since he stepped into Castle Town. Finally, his gaze settled on the owner of the enticing, teasing giggle.

She was maybe a year younger than he, shorter. She had pale, powder blue eyes that glinted and long, luscious fire red hair that cascaded down her back like a waves. Her skin was healthy with exercise and tanned by an obviously loving sun. She had an addictive, contagious smile that curled the pretty pink lips into a cupid's bow. She was wearing a simple, cream colored dress that ended at mid-shin and mud-splattered brown leather boots. She had an orange scarf around her neck, tied with a bronze, engraved emblem. She clasped her hands behind her back, shifting in her spot to turn more towards him.

He glanced around almost unsure before taking a couple of steps towards her. She smiled widely at him, as if reassuring him. He stood in front of her and felt her taking his appearance in. She giggled again.

"Well, hello," she said with a comforting tone. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

He nodded and licked his lips, looking around at the chaos again.

She laughed. "Yeah, you look it. Can I ask what's up with that outfit? It's very… different."

He looked down at himself and shrugged. He cleared his throat. "Everyone wears this back home." It was the first time he'd spoken a word in four days and his voice sounded raspy, like it wasn't his.

"Back home? Where is that?" she asked, bluntly but not unkindly.

"Kokiri Forest."

"Kokiri Forest? That's all the way to the south, isn't it?"

He nodded. Just then there was a bright flash, and a sparkle. A pinpoint of flittering light and then a small, airy voice spoke close to his ear.

"Come on, we need to go!"

The girl was intrigued by the sight. "Oh, a fairy! Wow. She's so pretty."

He looked at his friend, who was smiling and blushing a bit, though it was hard to tell with the luminous shine coming from her. He grinned at his friend.

"This is Navi," he explained to the redhead girl.

She smiled. "So you're a fairy boy from Kokiri Forest. The getup makes a little more sense now. I'm Malon. My dad is the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. Maybe you've seen it?" He shrugged, trying to think back to his excursions out in Hyrule Field. "Its right in the middle of Hyrule field really. It's a half a day's walk from here. What's your name?"

He swallowed before answering, almost a little relived that someone was actually interested in his name. No one ever really was before, except Saria.

"My name is Link."


	3. The Road to Hyrule Castle

"Link. That's a nice name," Malon said, nodding as if she approved. "So what are you doing here?"

Link glanced quickly at Navi who made a face at him. He knew perfectly well what it meant. He looked back at Malon's genuinely interested expression.

"I need to speak to the Princess."

Navi slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned.

"Princess Zelda?" Malon asked. "Well, good luck getting into the palace. I heard they just raised security because some dope tried to waltz into the castle. There's a rumor going around that there's a drain or a pipe that leads you into the castle gardens. But they say it's very small. You know, too small for an _adult_."

Navi pricked her head up at that and gave Link a look. Maybe he did the right thing telling this girl. She gave a telling smile, but pretended to be oblivious.

"Yeah, well, anyway, good luck. I'm waiting for my dad. He was _supposed_ to be making a delivery of Lon Lon milk to the palace, but he's been gone for an awfully long time. My dad's pretty irresponsible. Most of the time, I end up taking care of him like if _I_ was the grown up, but…" she shrugged indicating that she didn't really mind. "Anyway, I'm stuck waiting here for him."

"I'm sorry," Link said, not really knowing what else to say.

Malon nodded and smiled at him. "You look hungry, fairy boy. Why don't you get something to eat? There's a great stall over there in that alley over there."

Link looked in the direction she was pointing. He smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. Hope you find your father."

"Thanks. Nice meeting you, fairy boy."

At the sound of her tone, Link suddenly knew that this new nickname was going to stick with him. He waved goodbye to her and disappeared, following the growingly powerful aroma of food.

He bought some kind of meat pastries and savored the smell coming from within the wax paper wrappers. He devoured one, then another, then the last; leaning against the dirty alley walls a little way down from the cart.

Navi urged him on, tugging at his tunic and telling him that it was time to go. When he was done eating, he stood, wiping his hands on his chest and sighed. He was so tired, but Navi was right. Time was short and it was time to get going. Link walked out into the rousing chaos of the marketplace again.

He looked around wearily, and realized quite suddenly that he had no idea where to go. Maybe he could ask…

But when he looked to the spot where Malon had been standing before, she was gone. He glanced around, trying to find the spot of red that would give her away, but there was nothing. She had disappeared. He sighed and walked up to a woman fidgeting.

"Excuse me, can you-"

The woman gave an annoyed squeal, still fidgeting. "Damn it all, I can't get to this spot!"

Link realized suddenly that she was trying in vain to scratch at a spot on her back and couldn't. She was totally ignoring him. He tried several other people, but they were 

just as unresponsive, especially the man that was running around with a pocket watch, yelling about how late he was, but never seeming to go anywhere at all. Finally he decided to try the dancing, enamored couple.

"Pardon?" he called out.

They didn't even turn to look at him.

"What is that?" the man asked, fawning over the woman. "A little boy?"

"Don't pay him mind, Honey," the woman replied, batting her eyelashes sickeningly. "He'll go away soon."

"Indeed, indeed. Scat, boy, scat/"

Link pulled back from the hand that was waved at him dismissively, but didn't budge.

"Look, I just need to know which way the palace is," he tried again.

"We don't have time for you boy, now go," the woman replied.

"You're wasting more time not answering. Just tell me which way, please?"

There was an obviously annoyed sigh and the man pointed towards a northern exit that, in all the confusion, Link had missed. It was just behind the water well. He could've slapped himself for being so blind.

"Now scram, boy, you're aggravating us."

Link complied happily. He walked towards the exit as the sun was sinking slowly under the horizon. The people of Castle Town where packing things up to go home as the torches were lit by soldiers. The sound receded behind him as he walked onto the path leading towards Hyrule Castle.


	4. Singsong Voice and the Will of a Soldier

The excitement and thrill that had pumped adrenaline through him for the past two hours drained suddenly as he looked up at the intimidating peak of Death Mountain. He hadn't realized just how tired he was. He hadn't gotten time to between sneaking into the castle through the guard-ridden garden, talking to the blond-haired, blue-eyed princess, and being totally entranced by the princess's body guard's disappearing act.

But now… Now he sagged. His bones ached, his head was pounding. Navi tugged at his sleeve.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get going," she persisted.

But link hesitated. He glanced up at the mountain again. And then something… _something_… turned his head back towards Hyrule Field. There, looming in the distance was a large shape.

"_It's right in the middle of Hyrule field really. It's a half a day's walk from here."_

The lyrical little voice sung enticingly in his head. Navi gave him an anxious, waiting look. He cast another longing glance back towards the looming figure of Lon Lon Ranch. He turned towards the Ranch, heading towards it at a run. Navi hovered at the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle, gaping. Finally, she fluttered after him at full pace. She pulled back on him futilely.

"Link! We're supposed to be going to see the Gorons about the spiritual stone!" Navi exclaimed.

Link continued to ignore her. He was heading up the path now at a brisk pace. The sun was still just coming up from under the horizon casting a blushing pink glow to the landscape. He didn't get to the winding, grassy entrance way of the Ranch until the sun was already hot and high in the sky. He paused for a moment, then took in a deep breath and walked inside.

A fresh, delicious breeze hit him in the face. There was the far away sound of whinnying and hoof beats. There were some pots lining the right wall of what looked like the stable. To the left was what looked like the door to the house. He walked over to it and knocked lightly. There was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time. Finally, he opened the door and poked inside.

There were cuccos everywhere. Link was very confused. Sitting amongst the gaggle of squawking, fluttering birds was the man he'd woken up at the castle the other night. He was Malon's father, owner of the ranch. His name was Talon, Link remembered. Surrounding him were three cuccos who, unlike the others, were staying put, pecking in an odd, very concise fashion. Talon was snoring loudly. Link inched closer, cuccos running amok at his feet.

"Excuse me?" Link tried timidly.

There was a surprised yelp as Talon's eyes snapped open. At last he focused on the boy and grinned, still sleepy.

"Well, if it isn't the forest boy from the other day at the castle," Talon said. He rambled on for a while, then he gave a devilish little wink to the boy. "How'd you like to play a game. See these three cuccos here? They're special _super_ cuccos. I'll throw them into the bunch of regular cuccos. You have to find all three of them in the time allotted, and if you do I'll give you something special. It'll be ten rupees to play. You interested?"

Link floundered, unsure of what to do really, and then, shrugging to himself, reached into his wallet and pulled out the money. He handed it to the waiting man, who smiled and stuffed it into his pocket.

"You've got thirty seconds. Ready? GO!"

Talon raised his arms and the three cuccos fluttered into the air and then came landing down, mixing in with the other birds. Link stood for a second, confused, then ran towards one of the cuccos he'd seen land. Talon whooped and congratulated him. Link ran towards the general direction of the second cuccos, grabbing at random birds. The second one he grabbed was another one. Finally he headed towards the door, where the last one had landed. Talon counted down the seconds.

"Five… four… three… two…" Link made a grab at one of the birds and Talon hollered happily. "That's it! You did it. Come get your prize."

Link walked over to him as his cuccos slid back into their pecking order. He laughed heartily.

"So, kid, how's you like to marry Malon?" he asked.

Link flushed, his cheeks burning pink and he couldn't think to speak. Talon stared him down, waiting for the response. What do you say to a question like that?

Link gulped, then uncertainly said, "Um… sure?"

Talon laughed harder than ever, holding his stomach. "I'm just joking, boy! Aren't you a little young for that? Anyway, here is the real prize."

Talon grunted, rising from his position on the floor and walked to the icebox. He reached inside and took out a bottle, handing it to the boy.

"Lon Lon milk, finest in all of Hyrule. Some people say that when you drink it, you instantly feel refreshed. When you run out, come back and see me. I'll be happy to give you a refill." Talon grunted again as he sat against the leg of the table again. "Malon's somewhere outside, if you're wondering. Nice to… see you… again."

In seconds, Talon was snoring again. Link watched for a second, but the man was in a deep sleep. He walked out of the house. He decided to try the other door and walked into a stable.

Standing in the middle of the floor was an excessively hairy man holding a pitchfork and doing nothing. Link stepped into the room, looking around. Most of the stables were empty. Link guessed that all the horses were outside.

"Pardon, sir," Link started to ask. "Do you happen to know where Malon is?"

The man scoffed. "This is ridiculous. The owner is so lazy that, I, the great Ingo, am forced to do all the work. I, Ingo, should be running this place, not that lazy bum, Talon!"

Link shrunk back towards the door. He got a weird feeling from this man. "Well, thank you anyway."

He headed outside again. Maybe it was stupid to come. He looked towards the place where the sound of snuffing and stomping was coming from. He headed down the narrow inlet that led into the actual ranch and took in a breath as he looked over the vast, calming pastures of Lon Lon Ranch. There was a large central corral that the horses were freely streaming in and out of. He walked towards it, more out of unconscious curiosity than anything else.

Just as he neared the entranceway to the corral, the small redhead stepped out, a bucket of feed in her hands. She looked up and caught sight of him, hovering.

"Oh, well, if it isn't the fairy boy from the marketplace the other day," she said with a smile. "Good to see you. And hey, thanks for finding my dad for me. He's always kind of irresponsible." Malon shrugged, then smiled, a twinkling curiosity in her eyes. "So, did you get to talk to the Princess?"

Link hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Why did he get this curious sense of comfort around her? Perhaps it was her blunt, honest manner. He shook the feeling off.

"So, what did she say?"

Navi fidgeted from under his hat. Link knew she wasn't thrilled about telling people of his plans.

"Not much," he answered vaguely, which was kind of the truth. They'd talked in circles for a while. The Princess was a bit confusing. She spoke a lot without saying much about anything. He gave an exhausted sigh. "She kind of sent me on an errand. I need to go to Death Mountain."

"Death Mountain," Malon repeated, obviously impressed. "Wow. That's exciting. I wish I could go. What kind of an…" her question petered out as she looked him over, her brow furrowed into a concerned frown. "You're going now?"

Link nodded, shifted on his sore feet.

Malon shook her head. "No you're not." He looked up at her, surprised and confused, but she stood firm. "You're dead on your feet. When was the last time that you got some real sleep?"

Link's silence answered her question. He changed the subject. "It is truly important that I complete this errand-"

"Perhaps, but you'll never make it if you don't get some rest. Now come on, you're not going anywhere until you sleep."

Bemused, Link followed meekly behind her as she set her pail down by the outer stable wall and led him over towards the far west corner of the field. There, built into one of the support columns of the high fence surrounding the ranch, was a room. She led him inside. There was hay strewn over on the floor in a pile and there was a cow mooing softly and chewing her hay contentedly by a mass of crates. But there, wedged comfortably in the corner was a small, dressed cot.

"Now, you sleep. When you're rested, you can go off on your royal errand, all right?"

Navi flew out from his cap and faced Link, obviously not liking the recent turn of events.

"Link, we must go-"

"Excuse me," Malon interrupted, just as determined as the insistent little fairy. "I understand that you are his keeper and that you have a certain duty to comply with, but you can't keep pushing him so hard. He'll just end up giving out before he gets anything done. You can leave first thing in the morning. Now are you going to stay here and rest with him or would you like to join me while I finish my chores?"

Link was shocked. No one had ever spoken to Navi in such a tone. Malon was politely telling her that Link was going to rest and she could either go along voluntarily or she would be forced to comply. Link waited for the answer. There was shock clearly splayed over Navi's ethereal features. Then she set her jaw in a grim, defiant line, and gave a sharp nod. She disappeared into one of Link's empty pouches. Malon gave a final look to the now still pack, then gave Link a small smile.

"Sleep well, fairy boy," Malon said, opening the door to exit. "And sweet dreams."

And for the first time in years, he actually did have sweet dreams.


	5. All the Sweetness of a Morning Duet

Link's eyes opened and he stared, confused, at the high wooden rafters above his head. Since when did he have rafters in his tree house? A sudden, very near moo caused him to sit up in his bed. At the sight of the cow, still happily chewing on some hay, brought the memories of yesterday flooding back to him. He felt utterly refreshed, absolutely magnificent. He wiped his eyes clear and ran and hand through his hair. After searching for a moment, he found his hat crumpled on the floor. It must have fallen off last night during his sleep. He yawned and at the sudden movement, Navi flew out of one of his pouches with a flurry and a shower of dust.

Link gave her a small smile, just the faintest of tugs at the corners of his lips. She smiled back, embarrassed, she slipped her hands through her short, blue-white hair and looked at him earnestly.

"That girl was right, Link," she said suddenly. "I'm sorry if I've pushed you too hard."

Link shook his head. "Don't trouble yourself, Navi. You're just trying to help."

Navi smiled and Link stood. He straightened the sheets on the cot, then, after patting the cow, he stepped into the brightly lit morning. He realized that he'd slept for more than twelve hours. He looked at the field, finding it as empty as yesterday and decided to try the corral.

As he neared the entranceway, a strangely familiar melody floated towards him. He'd heard it recently, under the night skies at Hyrule Castle. He searched around for the source.

There standing in the center of the corral, lovingly petting a colt, was Malon. Her flaming red hair burned brightly in the afternoon sun and she was humming the beautiful chords contentedly. It wasn't until Link was a few paces away that she noticed him.

She grinned at him. "Good morning, fairy boy. You look much better."

Link smiled awkwardly and nodded.

Malon giggled and patted the colt's head. "This is my friend Epona. Want to pet her?"

Link inched forward and held his hand out towards the pony. She eyed him warily and after a moment's thought, bolted across the luscious expanse of grass. Malon giggled again.

"Looks like she's afraid of you, fairy boy," she said. A different horse nuzzled her, wanting attention and she subconsciously began to hum the familiar little tune again.

"What is that?" Link asked softly. "That song you sing?"

Malon straightened, gently pushing the horse away. He snorted, tossed his head, and slowly clopped away. "You like it? It was my mother's song. She composed it. I call it Epona's song."

"It's…" Link swallowed hard. He wasn't too good at conversation. "It's pretty." And for a reason he couldn't place his finger on, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ocarina that Saria had given him. "Can you teach it to me?"

"Oh! Cute ocarina," Malon exclaimed, wide-eyed and fawning over the little musical instrument. "You want to sing along with me? Okay, ready?"

She hummed the notes slowly as he matched them with the ocarina. The music came high and sweet. After a couple of tries, Link got the notes down and they played a pretty duet. At the end of the song, Link took the instrument from his lips and a small, genuine smile tugged at his mouth. There was a sudden, nearby whinny and he jumped, turning to see that small pony standing next to him. She shoved her nose into his arm, pleading for attention. He hesitated a moment, the petted her nose and she sighed happily. Malon smirked and gave a small giggle.

"It looks like Epona's grown fond of you, fairy boy," she mentioned.

Link nodded. "Yes, it seems so."

Malon smiled knowingly. "You look hungry. Why don't you come with me and have some breakfast?"

He looked up at her, pausing his attentions to the pony. She snorted unhappily and thrust her nose into his chest. He automatically began petting her again. He swallowed hard and nodded.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Well, come on then. We have to hurry," she demanded, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the house. "You've got a mountain to climb."


	6. Blood and Lava

It was hot. So very, very hot. Sweat was pouring down his face, his back, his legs. He wiped his brow and looked with tired, bleary eyes around the vermin infested Dodongo's Cavern. He'd been in this hellhole for three days already, finding small nooks and crannies in which to wedge himself to sleep. He had burns all over, either from lava or from steam or from fire keese that came wheeling downward to bowl him over.

Damn these Gorons. Couldn't they learn to eat other rocks?

He pushed the damp hair back from his forehead and trundled on. There had to be some way through that gigantic door. The bars went up whenever he hit the floor lever. He looked around the cavern and in the far corner he saw a heavy cube, like so many others that were randomly strewn about this dungeon. He moved towards it, taking the time to kick aside the dead body of a keese, still smoking from just recently being extinguished, and moved along.

"Damn it all!" he yelled out in rage and frustration.

The cube wouldn't move. It was wedged. He paused, looked around the cavern again and found a wall that was short enough for his to climb. Perhaps there was a way for him to go around and push it out.

After another three hour detour, several more scratches, and another two scathing, itching, painful burns, Link found the backside of the cube. He leaned against it, breathing hard and warily. His arms shook from exhaustion and he slipped forward, turning and sliding down, back against the cube. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over onto his cheeks, refreshingly cool.

"What do I do, Navi?" he whispered in a harsh voice. "What do I do?"

Navi looked at her friend, pity and sadness in her eyes. She flew close to his face and gave a comforting smile.

"Close your eyes, Link," she said in her twinkling, sweet voice. "I will help you."

Link, tears still streaming silently down his cheeks, did as he was told and closed his eyes. Navi did the same, whispering something under her breath and then shot off. She formed circles around the half-dead boy, sparkles emanating around him. The weariness began to subside, the pain to dull slightly. His head cleared, the tears stopped, and he found he didn't need to struggle to breathe. He opened his eyes.

"Navi? What did you do?" he asked, looking for his friend.

He jerked into action as he found his tiny partner sitting on the ground by his shoe, her light dimmer than ever before. He picked her up and held her to his face. She was drawing in breaths laboriously and she was obviously exhausted, but she gave a thin smile.

"What did you do?" he asked again, on the verge of hysteria.

"Do you feel… better now?" she asked in a breathy voice.

He looked at her fondly. "You gave me your strength." She said nothing, she just let herself mold into the curves of his hand. "Thank you, friend. Now rest."

Link gently put her into one of his pouches and she didn't object. He got to his feet and began pushing the block again. It took his another two hours to finish pulling the block into place and finally, at long last, it slid into place perfectly. He heard the loud, long-awaited "click" of the lever being depressed and the steel bars over the great iron 

door slid up. Catching his breath for a moment, he then headed towards the door and slid it open.

It was a barren room. There was nothing here, nothing but a small, Goron work trunk in the corner full of bombs. He refilled his sack, then looked around confused. There had to be something in here. He crossed the room again… and stopped.

He thudded his foot down hard. The sound was different here, hollow. And when he looked he saw a crack in the mud floor. Then he picked up on the square outline of something that had been filled in recently. Or at least, more recently than the rest of the floor. Without depleting his own stock, he set a bomb on the center of the floor, just over the crack and ran for cover.

There was a gigantic bang and when the smoke cleared there was a rough square hole in the floor. Steam rose from it ominously. Link inched closer, stood at the edge and peered in. Below, a pretty far ways down, was a packed, trodden dirt floor. He leaned further forward to try to see more… and lost his footing.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

He lunged out with his arms and his fingers clung to the side of the hole, his body dangling into the void. He felt his grip weaken, felt his fingers lose their grip and slip, and then felt warm, fetid air rushing over him as he fell with an unearthly scream. He landed on his left foot mostly and there was a tremendous jarring pain as he slammed into the dirt. He moaned, eyes closed tightly, then rolled onto his side and picked himself up slowly. He was at least glad that he hadn't fallen into the previously unseen pit of lava next to him. That's where the steam had come from.

There was a sharp pain whenever he put pressure on his left leg. The foul wind blew over him again. He began to flex his arm out, trying to see if it was okay. The noxious wind once again blew at him from behind. He stopped suddenly.

This was a closed cavern. There was nowhere for the wind to blow through. So why was there…?

Link turned slowly and almost swallowed his tongue. He came face to face with the gigantic, scaly, disgusting face of an enormous, ancient reptile. At that moment, Navi flew from her pouch to see what all the commotion was. She gasped and hovered beside Link.

"That's…" she said, swallowed and tried again. "That's King Dodongo. I wasn't aware that he was still alive. I guess that no one ever really made it back to tell the good news."

Link gulped. The monster snorted, then threw his head back and gave an ear shattering roar into the hot, still air. Kind Dodongo took a step towards him, the ground shaking. Link backed up and let out a yell as he almost collapsed on his left foot. The ancient lizard opened his mouth and began sucking in a vast amount of air.

_Think! What do you do?_

A thought clicked and Link fumbled for his bomb sack. He pulled one out, tore off the wick, and threw it with all his force into the gaping maw of the reptile king. The beast swallowed it whole, then stopped what he was doing as it caught in his throat. There was a muffled "BOOM!" and black smoke escaped from the monster's ferocious jaws. King Dodongo collapsed with a gurgle. Link took his chance and, ignoring the pain, stepped forward, sword in hand, and hacked at the beast with all his might.

After a couple of hits, the reptile struggled to his feet, curled into a ball, and began to try to pummel him. Link braced himself tightly against the cavern wall and felt the beast roll past.

It was a ferocious battle. King Dodongo managed to land a couple of hits on the boy, almost breaking him in two. Blood was seeping out of the gaping wounds on Link's body, he was burnt worse than ever, but in the end, the boy managed to get the better of the dumb beast. After four bombs, the bones of his throat shattered and the monster couldn't draw any air from his lungs. In a stupor and a dying daze, he curled one last time and wobbled feebly into the pit of lava. The beast cried out in fury and pain as his body melted away. And suddenly, there was a burst of cold, wonderful air that blew through the whole cavern, airing it out. The evil had been expelled. The lava pit cooled, now holding the remaining portion of head and claws as a trophy.

Link sighed, collapsing against one of the rock walls, buried his head in his dirty, bloodstained hands, and cried.


	7. Grown Ups in 10YearOld Bodies

"Wow."

Link nodded, still staring at his tired, worn boots. He expelled a deep, heavy breath. Malon shook her head beside him. They were sitting on the stable roof, their legs hanging over the edge of the roof. Below them the tranquil ranch was unaware of the duo above. Link had come into the ranch seeking something he couldn't quite explain. She had asked him about Death Mountain and he'd given her a cropped, edited version of his dealing with the Gorons. He'd also told her about his meeting with the Great Fairy.

He had stumbled into the Great Fairy's lair more than half dead and she had healed him. She was shocking at first, overwhelming in most senses and Link had been so frazzled that she scared him a bit. But she was kind and she had given him sound advice and graced him with a new strength and power he didn't have before. From there he had decided to come back to Lon Lon Ranch and talk to Malon.

The truth was he didn't know where else to turn and if he didn't sit for a while and think things through he would burst. She had listened to him quietly, asking a few curious questions. He knew that she was aware that he was keeping something from her, but she didn't prod for what it was. She let him say what he wanted to and asked harmless questions. Malon looked over at him, her brow twitching.

"And you're okay now?" she asked.

Link nodded again. "Fine."

"Good. Have you eaten anything? Well, anything other than stale bread?" Malon inquired, disgustedly flicking away a crumb that had been left behind. When she had asked what he'd been eating all this time, he'd produced a rock that couldn't justifiably be called bread. She had tossed it far out into the field where the horses were grazing and not even they had given it a second glance.

Link shrugged, not giving a real answer. Malon hoisted herself up, wiping the debris off her skirt and bent to pull Link up by the arm.

"Come on, fairy boy," she said. "Let's get some real food into you."

Link allowed himself to be towed by the determined girl. They clambered off the roof and she led him into the house. Talon was nowhere to be seen, which meant that he was probably napping in some hidden place around the ranch. Malon plopped him down at the small wooden table and went to the cupboard. She began throwing things into a pot, setting over a fire, and letting it boil. She turned her attention to some salted meat.

The whole meal took about half an hour to cook and Link sat in his chair, enjoying the comfortable silence. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, falling into a semi-dreamlike state. He was awake, but unfocused on anything in particular. There was a dull thud in front of his and his eyes snapped open suddenly, muscles tensing.

Malon smiled kindly at him. "Here you go. Eat up."

Link slowly forced himself to relax, then picked up the harsh, heavy cutlery and began sipping his soup. He ate voraciously, his appetite coming to life like a roaring beast. He switched over to the meat, pushing the empty bowl away from him. Malon sat, playing with her soup and watching him.

"You act older than you are," she said suddenly.

Link looked up and swallowed a mouthful of the heavenly dish. "Excuse me?"

Malon simply nodded. "You act like you're a grown up. I think it's pretty… I don't know…" she shrugged. "It's pretty cool."

Link looked her over as she focused on her soup again. He had known that the relationship he had with the redhead farm girl had been strangely comfortable; strange in the sense that it was based on only a few meetings. Perhaps, however, it wasn't entirely one-sided. He had thought that he had been the one to come to her, looking for a sense normalcy. But he realized now that she was meeting him halfway. She too set aside everything else to sit and talk to him.

Maybe it was the fact that they were both forced into an age that wasn't theirs. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders. There were so many things riding on his strength, his courage. And she… she had the weight of _her_ world on her shoulders. She was a motherless child, and in a certain sense, when she lost her mother, she had also lost her father. She was too familiar with household chores like cooking and cleaning. She was responsible for her father, for the upkeep of their livelihood. And, whether she knew it or not, she was now somehow in charge of his sanity. He met her gaze again.

"Me too," he said and she understood what he meant. She smiled appreciatively. "Did you like lunch?"

Link nodded enthusiastically. "Phenomenal."

Malon laughed. "You always give one word answers. What's the matter, fairy boy? Don't have an expansive vocabulary or something?"

"I can say more than one word."

Malon gave him a look of doubt. "Anyway, if you liked that, you'll love dinner. You are staying for dinner aren't you?" Link opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he could get any words out. "Great. You can help me cook. Why don't you just rest up until then?"

Link stared at the girl, trying to figure out what to respond, but she needed no response. She went about, cleaning the cooking area. Link got up and cleared the table.

"You don't have to do that," she said, trying to take the dirty crockery from him.

He pulled away from her reaching hands. "I know, but I want to."

"But you need to-"

"You need to let me help you. Now mind your own business."

Malon glared at him for a moment, but she saw that he was paying her no mind, she gave up. After a while she resigned her pouting state and the two children stood side by side, washing dishes.


	8. The Boy and the Blade

"He's not moving."

Link stared in horror down at the dead soldier slumped by his feet. Navi hovered beside him, obviously as shocked as he was. He had wanted to go to the Lost Woods one last time. He had wanted to go see Malon and relax at the ranch for a little while. He had wanted, he had wanted, he had wanted…

But all thoughts of doing anything else had shot out of his mind as he had stumbled upon the bloodied, dying soldier in the back alleys of Castle Town market. He was rooted to the spot, unable to make the physical connection between his brain and his legs.

"Link, we need to go," Navi said in a tattered whisper.

A volt seemed to run through him and his feet finally picked themselves up. He was suddenly running. He careened through the marketplace, brushing past people who didn't give him a second glance, tripping over dogs and cuccos, bumping into plant-holders so hard he knew he'd have bruises later. He ran… away from the dying soldier, away from the look in Zelda's eyes as she flung the mystical ocarina back through the air towards him, away from the unveiled evil in Ganondorf's prodding, away from the knowledge that there was a great chance that everything he knew as true and real was coming apart at the seams.

Link stumbled up the stairs towards the Temple of Time. The courtyard was held in a stony silence. To the left was the huge, dark outline of Death Mountain. The temple was made of a regal stone and a line of obelisks stood facing the stairs, their gaze unnerving. Link walked up the stairs of the temple, panting.

He paused before he put a hand on the handle to open the door. He pulled his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair. He gripped the thick green fabric in clenched fists. His breathing was stilted.

He was scared; unsure of what he would find behind the heavy iron door. He had been scared for the past six months, though. Each dungeon he faced held a brand new kind of terror and he had the scars to prove it.

Link placed the hat back on his head. His face was a cold, stone mask and he gripped the handle firmly before throwing the door open.

The temple echoed eerily. As he moved through the thick, stifling air of the temple, voices seemed to hum in the background. He swallowed hard and ignored the feeling of something watching him. There was a pedestal, empty and wanting, and a large stone door behind it.

"The spiritual stones," Navi said, her voice reverberating through the high chamber. "You need to put them here."

Link reached into the pouch he'd collected the stones in. They shown, bright and heavy, in his hand. He carefully placed the Kokiri Emerald in the first slot. There was a bright, sudden beam of light that he shrunk away from and the haunting tones rose slightly, then dulled once more. He blinked away the painful brightness, then put the Goron Ruby in place as well. This time he was prepared for the beam and the overwhelming song that washed over him. Finally, he set the Zora Sapphire in the last slot. The light that shone this time was blinding and he shielded his eyes from it and the voices were so loud it hurt his ears.

It went silent all at once, not even the slightest breath of noise swept through the chamber. It took awhile to adjust to the change in light again. He looked at his fairy.

"What now?" he asked, whispering.

Navi, too, whispered, "The Ocarina of Time. Play the song Zelda taught you."

Link nodded, a little dumbfounded by the sparkling, floating crystals. He pulled out the mystical instrument and brought it to lips. As he struck the notes, the voices came back, joining him in the deep, melodic song. By the time he had struck the last note, the music was so powerful it washed over him like a wave and grew, splashing upwards, towards the ceiling. The stone door before him began to slide open and the voices swirled round the chamber until they were overbearing. As the door locked in place, the sound diminished.

Link climbed the steps towards the antechamber in awe, his brain not able to truly comprehend what had just happened. He slowly stepped through the doorway and paused. There was only one thing in the room. On a raised platform stood a pedestal with a magnificent sword stuck in it. Navi beside him gasped.

"Is that…?" she paused and flew over to it, circling around it. "…the Master Sword? The legendary blade of Hyrule." Her voice was awed. She flew back towards Link and he swallowed hard.

He walked up to the blade, climbing the shallow steps slowly. He looked over the beautiful sword trapped in the stone before him.

"I guess there's only one thing to do," he said, his voice swirling around the chamber eerily.

"What?" Navi asked, still transfixed.

"Pull it out."

And with that he stepped forward, gripped the handle firmly, and pulled upwards with a grunt of effort. He thought the blade would be stuck tight, but it slipped out of the stone easily, like it was slicing through butter, not stone. He held the heavy blade up in the air.

From around him a blue-white beam shot into the air, enclosing him. He gasped, suddenly unable to breathe. His head became light, his thinking unclear. From behind him there was a sinister chuckle.

With the last of his strength, Link wheeled around and there, standing in the doorway, was a smirking Ganondorf.

"I knew you'd have the key, kid," Ganon said with an evil grin. "Thanks for leading the way. Now, with the Triforce in my hands, I will rule all of Hyrule. Hell, I'll rule the world!"

Link opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't. He tried to move forward, the heavy sword still clasped in his ever-weakening hand. He took a step, stumbled, and all at once fell face-forward on the stone steps. Ganondorf threw his head back and laughed cruelly. Link's eyes opened, closed, opened… his vision swam painfully… And then there was nothing.

Nothing but blackness.


	9. In the Opening and Closing of an Eye

There had been a lot to take in the past couple of hours. Shock wave after shock wave had rocked him to his core. From awakening after that mind-numbing pain to find that he was not what he'd remembered, to speaking to Rauru the sage and finding out that Ganondorf was running rampant, to learning what it was he now had to do, to then meeting the mysterious Sheik and trying to decipher his strange and clouded words…

But nothing… nothing could have prepared him for this.

The Castle Town marketplace had always been chaos, and so it had remained. But this was a totally different, unholy chaos. No more was the loud chatter in the air, the careless indifference to the common populace, the laughing and shouting, the pushing and shoving, the… the life. No, this…

This was hell. Debris littered the floor creating a carpet of rubble underfoot. The buildings were sagging and broken, creaking doors and shattered windows telling their tales of misery and woe. The once rich scents that permeated the breeze were now replaced with a rancid, fetid stench that was thick and overbearing. And the air was filled, not with the carefree, bustling din of a lively marketplace, but with the deep, haunting, sonorous chants of the unholy.

Reddeads stood in random spots around the town, heads downcast, bodies pulsating with their murky, disgusting light. They sang to each other, trying to entice their prey closer. Reddeads were slow, but deadly.

Link set his mouth in a grim, unyielding line. There was only one way out of this and that was through the Reddead maze. Link skirted around them, towards the road to Hyrule Castle, unseen. Casting a backwards glance, he ran down the road, desperate to find out if Zelda was still safely locked away behind her castle walls. He turned to look towards the distant castle…

And stopped dead.

Seven years was a long time, he decided. Too long a time. He closed his eyes from the nauseating sight, unable to think of what all of it could mean. Nothing was sacred in Hyrule anymore. Zelda was gone, that much was clear, and in her place was the tyrannical and power-hungry Ganondorf. Ignoring Navi's whimpering sobs by his ear, he turned away from the sight.

He had to get out of here, he had to leave this horrible place and find something, anything at all to grasp. Something that could at least give the illusion of normalcy, of sanity, of goodness and grace. Link turned back to the vermin infested marketplace and decided that he would leave this place behind, or die trying.

Again, Link kept to the outskirts, away from the terrifying Reddead. Unfortunately, this time, he was no so lucky. A piercing wail cut through the dense air and he felt his limbs go numb. His brain had difficulty thinking and though he knew he had to move, he couldn't make his feet react. Finally, the impulse went through, but too late. The Reddead was there, mouth open, eyes glared out at him with hate and hunger, arms spread wide, ready to pounce and suck him dry of his life. Running was no longer an option.

Link pulled the Master Sword from its scabbard on his back. The last time he had held this sword it had felt so heavy, so impossibly large. Now it seemed nothing more than an extension of his arm, moving gracefully in time with his thought. He whipped the blade forward in an arc and sliced a deep gash into the undead beast. A foul smell hit him in the face and he gagged, but kept his head. The Reddead wailed in pain, almost buckling. Link delivered another two expertly executed slices and the monster fell to the ground in a heap. Link gagged again and ran from the marketplace at full speed, not wanting to have to deal with anymore of the terrifying creatures.

He expelled a sigh of relief when he saw that no more of the creatures were on the wide, stone entranceway. The drawbridge to Castle Town was broken, lying in a jagged heap in the moat. And there, to his left, was the dilapidated old door to the pottery shed.

This too, Link imagined, would be sucked dry of its life. But when he looked closer, he saw a thin light radiating from the crack under the door. Something was still there.

Link edged closer to it cautiously. After all the surprises and mind-blowing changes he had seen today, he didn't really expect the same guard to be there, watching over a bunch of pots. He grasped the door handle, took in a deep breath, and opened the door.

The air was thick with perfumed smoke and the light was dim and calming. Somewhere in the background there were chimes tinkling softly together. Though it was indeed different, there was no danger. Link had to focus a moment before he saw clearly. At the far end of the shack were a simple bed, a furnace stove, and a couple of crate that were overflowing with all types of items.

Sitting on the bed was a heavily robed, slumped creature, a wooden staff in his hands. Above his head was a crudely constructed cage with floating spirits in it. They shifted about, but did not fight their barriers. It seemed that whoever or whatever was in this room had a calming effect on them.

The creature looked up as the door shut softly behind the gaping boy. There was nothing clearly discernable about his face save for a disfigured, glowing eye. Link stared warily at the creature, about to back out the door and run, not ready for another fight.

"Come in, boy, come," a cackling voice insisted. "You need not worry, there is no danger here."

Link, still cautious, stepped towards them. He saw suddenly that it was a man, horribly disfigured. He tapped the end of the wooden staff against the rim of the cage above to quite down the ghost above.

"You're name is Link, isn't it young man?" The man cackled mirthfully at the look of shock on the boy's face. "Don't be alarmed, boy, I can read people's minds. You must be wondering what this little shop is, aren't you? Yes, indeed, you are." The man grinned hideously. "I collect ghosts. Poe souls and the like."

Link looked a the cage above and controlled a cringe. "Why?"

"Why, you ask?" the ghost-keeper repeated. "Because in this day and age it is so profitable a market. A small, simple little business to keep the _great_ Ganondorf content."

There was a sarcastic lilt to the way he said "great" that caught Link's attention. The word meant so many things. Link listened a little more intently.

"The ghosts I'm most interested in are the Big Poes," the ghost-keeper confided, once again tapping his staff against the edge of the cage above. "They're quite rare and I have none in my collection. They would be worth a great deal to me. Yes, indeed, they would." There was a pause, then a small sigh from beneath the hooded robe. "Well, boy, well. Perhaps it is time you were off. Unless of course there is anything else _I _could do for you?" Link shook his head and the ghost-keeper nodded complacently. "Come back when you think you've caught something interesting for me. I'm not able to get out much anymore. Well, boy. I'll be seeing you around."

Link gave a stiff nod. "Perhaps."

He walked out of the pungent, aromatic shed and picked his way across the jagged, broken drawbridge and stood on the other side. He planted his feet onto the dry, flat expanse of Hyrule Field, gaze set firmly ahead. Nothing more than a faint shadow was visible from this point. It seemed that a dark cloud was hanging over the precious expanse of Lon Lon Ranch.

Seven years was a long time, he decided. Too long a time.

Too long a time, indeed.


	10. Broken, Battered, and a Blue Eyed Girl

The air still smelled of hay and had the sweet tinge of sun-kissed grass. The buildings looked the same, the house to the left, the stable to the right. And out before him, past the narrow entranceway, he knew there would be the field. But, there was something wrong here, he decided, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Link turned to the house and, after a moment's hesitation, knocked gently. There was no answer. Link put his hand on the knob and swung it open.

The room beyond was empty. He was expecting to see Talon, leaning up against the wooden legs of the table. He expected to see the squawking, jerky chaos of dozens of cuccos littering the floor. He expected there to be a fire in the hearth and a delicious aroma in the air.

However, the room was completely empty. No Talon. No cuccos. No fire or cooking. No familiar tune being hummed in the air. He stepped further into the house and something a little desperate pushed him to climb the stairs to the rooms up there. These, too, were empty. The beds were nicely made and pressed, the rooms tidy and clean, but again he got the overwhelming feeling that something was wrong.

Link walked back out of the house and hesitated outside. Where was everyone? A deep sense of panic washed over him and he had to concentrate on breathing normally. He eased his thoughts, whispering comforts to himself before he began to breakdown. The stable door stared at him tauntingly. Link gripped the handle in a barely controlled fist and carefully pulled it open.

His steps were silent and the door was well oiled so the person standing in the stable, bent over one of the stalls, didn't hear him. He took in a deep breath, relief flooding through his system. His eyes wandered over the long, flaming red hair that cascaded over the slim back. She had grown, as he knew she had to have, but it was still odd to see the changes. The last time they had been together, she had been about his same height. She had grown, but he stood about a head taller than she did. Finally, she turned towards him and jumped a little, obviously not expecting there to be anyone.

"Oh! A visitor," she said.

Link furrowed his brows a little confused. After the first brief scan of her powder blue eyes, they had rooted themselves on the floor beneath her feet and from there they refused to move.

Link refused to believe this shattered shell of a girl was the same cheerful youth that he'd known years before. He stepped closer to her and she flinched, but stayed in her spot, gripping the pail in her hand with white knuckles. He saw then the true damage. Her voice was tattered and defeated. Her clothes were meager, sown and repaired hastily, but obviously well-worn. She was thin, painfully thin, and paler than he had ever remembered. Her eyes hurt him. They were afraid, unsure, not the hopeful, helpful blue orbs they had been in the past. When he focused on the spot he saw the remains of a bruise on her cheek that was just finishing healing.

"We haven't had a visitor in such a long time," she said in a small. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch. If you wish to speak with the owner, Mr. Ingo is outside. We have horses outside if you wish to ride."

But Link made to move to leave. Still Malon would not glance up. She shut her eyes and he realized that she was on the verge of tears. She was almost in a panic and suddenly he understood. No visitors were to see her and she had paid the price dearly the last time one of them had.

"Please sir," she pleaded in a shaking whisper. "Won't you please tour the outside premise?"

Link's face transformed to one of stony rage. His nostrils flared. Behind his eyes there was an intense, awful heat. His brain spun madly and all his muscles tensed. His clenched his fists. Perhaps it was better she didn't know who he was. Perhaps it was better that, for now, she held no knowledge that he had come back. He turned slowly, unable to make his feet go any faster, and walked out towards the pastures.

Standing by the corral, which was closed for the first time since he had ever seen it, was a pompously dressed Ingo. He had ditched the humble garb and was clad in satin, frilly clothes that were in bright, gaudy shades.

As Link stepped closer, little images played through his head. He thought of pressing Ingo up against the gate and pummeling him to a bloody pulp. He thought of pulling out his sword and beating him with the butt end of it. He thought of carving his name and a warning into his neck. He thought of breaking his arms and legs, of doing so many other things, but he knew, deep down, that he couldn't. Whatever it was he did, Malon would be forced to deal with the cruel consequences. He stopped before the disgusting little man, a cold, hateful mask in place.

"Well, hello," Ingo said, swaying confidently. He furrowed his brow and stared at Link. "I feel like I've seen you before. Anyway, welcome to my ranch, a tribute to the great Ganondorf. Some fools in Kakariko say that I stole this place from that lazy slob Talon, but it's not true. That's the story _he_ tells. The great Ganondorf saw my _obvious_ worth and greatness and gave me the ranch. I'm going to raise a fine horse and present it to the great Ganondorf as a gift. I don't want people talking bad about me. So, kid, would you like to ride for a while? Ten rupees."

Link hesitated, then, making up his mind, he pulled the money from his hand and put it ungratefully into the waiting hand. Ingo let him into the corral and closed it behind him. Link knew it would be a scam.

"You have ten minutes," Ingo said, looking at his pocket watch.

Link walked away from the dirty little man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ocarina. He put it to his lips and played the familiar tune, praying that his idea would work. As the last note reverberated through the air he heard a whinny and a neigh, then the nearby clop of hooves. The beautiful red mare stopped in front of him and nuzzled him, obviously remembering him.

"Epona," he whispered, kissing her nose lovingly and petting her. "Come one girl. We have work to do."

He climbed on the saddle and rode around, catching Ingo's attention. Ingo forced another ten rupees from him, then, as the ride was ending, Ingo called him over.

"You're getting pretty good, boy," he said, looking him over. "What do you say to a little wager? Fifty rupees on a horse race around the corral. Want to go?"

Link nodded stiffly. Ingo grabbed a huge stallion and swung up on it clumsily. The race was short and Ingo played dirty, cutting him off. However, he was an inexperienced horseman and Link soon gained the advantage. Epona gave her all and at the end, she and Link raced across the line victorious. Before he could even disembark, there was a yell of frustration and Ingo ran up beside his horse.

"No! How could I lose?" Ingo rage, gripping chunks of his hair. "Another round. If you win, you can… you can keep the damned horse!"

Link agreed, smiling to himself as they lined up. Ingo was angry and irrational. This round was even easier than the last, though Ingo did try to trip his horse and block his path. Link raced across the line and Ingo fell from his horse, falling to his knees.

"NOOOO! Is that Epona?! How could you have trained that wild horse right under my nose?" Ingo cried out. "I was going to present that horse to the great Ganondorf. I have nothing left. No, no, no!"

Link watched him as he yelled wordlessly for a few minutes, then crumpled. Finally, with a sigh, he stood, his hair still out of place, but he was smiling, grinning evilly.

"Like I promised, you can keep the horse," Ingo said in a soft, sinister voice. "However, I will never let you leave this ranch! BWAHAHAHA!"

Link watched helplessly as Ingo swung the main gates shut and padlocked it. Ingo watch Link carefully, expecting a raging fight, but Link kept his head. To this awful man, image was everything. The only way to take him down without hurting Malon was to knock him out of his highly esteemed position by causing a great loss. He turned from the man and headed to the high surrounding walls. He felt Epona's rippling muscles beneath his legs. He patted her flank and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Come on, love," he said softly. "For Malon."

And with that, he spurred her on, giving her enough room to go full speed. Then, just as the horse tensed and leapt into the air, he turned to look at the man. He had a horrified expression on his face and he knew suddenly that he'd succeeded.

And there, just behind Ingo, stood Malon, watching in amazement. Their eyes met and held each other and he saw the flicker of recognition. Her eyes widened, the pail slipped from her fingers and clattered noiselessly to the floor. Epona flew over the wall and the sight was gone. She landed on the dirt road beyond the ranch walls.

He wanted to do more, he wanted to stay and make sure that everything was put back the way it was supposed to, but he couldn't. He had to move on. This was the most he could do… for now.


	11. The Threat of a Shadow

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was written for (mainly) Razorfang. After your review, I got to thinking and realized that, not only did you make sense, I totally and completely agreed with you. So, with that written, hope you enjoy the following.

Finally, after hours of waiting, she did what he knew she'd do, confirming everything he'd assumed. This house was no longer hers, this place no longer a source of comfort. She cringed as she shut the door behind her, oblivious of the watching shadow above. With a sigh of relief, she blindly made her way towards the northwest corner of the ranch. From his vantage point he could see the exact moment that she slipped inside the little room.

He was nothing more than a shadow, a whisper. He dropped down from the stable roof. His muscles cried out in cold, cramped agony, but his blood was hot with rage. He licked his lips and glanced at the uppermost window of the house. He saw, to his delight, that the window was open, the cool night breeze blowing gently through it. There… there he was sure to find what he was looking for.

With a dark, dangerous glint in his eyes he proceeded. The tall tree at the side of the house was easy to scale. He did so quickly and agilely, making no nose whatsoever. There was only the slightest of thuds as he pulled himself up onto the roof of the large house.

There was nothing more than a brief stilt in the breeze to give away his presence in the room and he slipped through the open window. However, the person lying splayed on the bed took no notice and continued to snore. He glided over to the side of the bed and his blood boiled at the sight of him.

Once again he thought of the many ways this plan could fail. Once again he thought of the damage that could be done, of the consequences that _he _would not be receiving. But, he told himself, pushing all else aside, he had all the advantage. The room was too dark; the man's eyes would not become accustomed in time. And he wouldn't let himself be seen.

With a disgusted snarl curling his lip he grabbed the man by his nightshirt. Anger does strange things to people; it gives them strengths they never had before. He grabbed the man by his nightshirt with one iron fist and flung him across the room as if he was a rag doll.

There was a scared, surprised wail and then a sickening crunch as Ingo splattered against the far wall of the room. He slid down the wall limply, brushing against a night table and causing the vase atop it to shatter on the floor. Wilted, crumpled flowers littered the ground and the water in the vase was oozing over the wooden floor. Ingo sat daze, his head reeling, eyes blurred and unfocused, trying to understand what had happened to him.

Before he could process anything at all, he was being lifted again and slammed against the same wall. There was a sharp thud as his nose hit the wall. He winced against the pain, blood seeping out from one nostril and flailed helplessly.

"Take what you want! You can have it all, just leave me alone!" Ingo cried desperately, unable to shake free of the vicious, steel grip that held him against the wall.

With a grunt of hate, he was flung again, his hip cracking against the side of the bed and he yelled in agony. Then there was a shocked, "Oof!" as he was hit by what felt like a train and lifted until his back hit the wall. The air painfully whooshed out of his lungs and he gaped. Paintings clattered to the ground, the frames cracking, the panes of glass shattering.

There was a husky, hate-filled voice by his ear. "It's not yours to give. You sick bastard."

Tears slipped from Ingo's eyes and he as pressed up, face-first, against another wall. His nose was more than broken now and he had to have more than a couple of cracked ribs. There was a brutally strong hand squeezing at his neck and another holding him up by his hips. There was an unnerving tickling sensation, somehow painfully torturous, as hair brushed against Ingo's ear and cheek. However, the face was left unseen, unknown. The thick anger-laden voice spoke once more.

"You are going to give back her land."

Still, despite the painful grip and the shattered bones and the terror, Ingo struggled to speak. "Why should I? AAAAH!"

Ingo was slammed hard against the wall. Blood sputtered out from between his cracked, torn lips.

"You will give this ranch back. And if you ever… _ever_… touch her again…" The voice had lowered to a whisper, which made it all the more terrifying. "I'll kill you next time."

Ingo's head was slammed once more against the wall and then he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He looked up, his vision swimming. Standing before him was a tall, shadow covered figure. The figure moved away silently to the door, opened it, and paused before stepping out.

Without turning his head, he called over his shoulder. "I suggest you clean this up before anyone sees." And with that, he was gone.

He was a pretty good distance from the ranch when the little voice spoke beside his ear.

"You wouldn't really kill him…?"

His nostrils flared, his brow twitched, and something dangerous and new flashed behind the electric blue eyes.

"Watch me," Link said.


	12. Words of Comfort by the Cucco Pen

Link gently tugged on Epona's reins, coaxing her up the stone steps that led to the large town of Kakariko. It was here, supposedly, that Link would find the tool he needed to enter the first of the Temples that the Sheikah man had told him about. But Link had other reasons for coming to the village. From the small clues that were given to him by Ingo, he had a strong feeling that he would find the outcast Talon somewhere in this village. That was his first objective.

His first impression of the village after so many years was just as grim as the others. This was no longer a self-contented little place. The people were not glad to be here, there was a thick taste of fear in the air. But, he realized as soon as he walked in through the large gates, the refugees from Castle Town had fled here, to their neighboring village.

Standing by the tree were the two brothers, still arguing about something or other as they always had been before. Behind them were meandering villagers, some the original inhabitants to Kakariko, some from desecrated town to the northeast.

Link set his mouth in a grim line and walked forward, pulling Epona along with him. The mare tossed her head, the steel in her reins and bit jangling, and she followed complacently.

The first house that one saw in the village had its door propped open and, as he neared, he noticed there was a delicious smell coming from it. The sun was just setting behind the horizon and he realized he hadn't eaten all day. The aroma made his mouth water and his stomach churn painfully. He ignored the pangs of hunger and continued on.

He rounded the corner and climbed the other step of steps near the Skulltula house and turned towards the windmill and the cucco coupe. Standing in front of the bustling coupe was the lady that had always tended to them.

He was taller than her now, but other than that there was no apparent change. She looked exactly the same as she had years ago. She saw him and smiled kindly. He paused, Epona halting beside him and she kept his gaze.

"Hello," she said. "I've never seen you around here before. Are you a survivor of Castle Town?"

Link began to negate this, then thought it over and nodded. Technically it wasn't a lie. He had survived his experience in the new, horrifying place that was known as Castle Town. She nodded along with him understandingly.

"There have been a lot of new people around here through the last few years." She sighed. "My name is Anju. I tend to the cuccos around here. It's kind of my passion. I love the little guys, even if I wasn't supposed to do this with my life."

"Why wouldn't this be what you were supposed to do with your life?" Link asked.

Anju shrugged idly and looked lovingly down at her charges. "My father was never too crazy about the idea. He always thought I was wasting my time with a bunch of 'dumb animals.' And besides, I'm allergic to them. I can't really touch them."

"You're doing what you love. There's nothing wrong with that," he replied matter-of-factly. "There are many who would give what they have to do the same."

Anju smiled slowly, the words comforting her. "Thank you. And you know, they aren't dumb. Cuccos know more than people give them credit for. These little guys are smart. They always end up getting out of the pen, no matter how many times I upgrade it." She gave a little laugh, remembering something. "There used to be a little boy who would run all around town and collect them for me. He was a kind boy, quiet and well-mannered." Her eyes met Link's and he held her gaze hypnotically. She looked him over. When she spoke next it was in a quiet, awe-struck tone. "But that was a long time ago."

She looked away and glanced back at her happy birds. When she turned back there were a million questions on her face, but she spoke none of them aloud. She walked towards the end of the pen and came back with a bundle in her arms cradled protectively. She looked up at him.

"I bred a new kind of miniature cucco. It doesn't give me allergies. I don't know why, but I get the feeling you're good with cuccos. This little guy is about to hatch and with all the other things to tend to, I might not be there to see it. I think someone should be there when he comes out. Would you… do you want to take him?"

Anju held the package out to him and revealed it for what it was. Between the layers of blanket was a small, warmly nestled egg. Link hesitated before reaching out and carefully taking the egg. She smiled, almost relieved.

"When it hatches, you can bring it back to me. Maybe, if you make it happy, I'll give you something," Anju said slowly. She smiled. "Good night."

Link gave a small nod. "Good night."


	13. Tangible

"We'll always be friends, I know it."

Saria's words rang through his heads. Yes, they would always be friends. But it would be nothing more than a lingering memory. Unattainable, untouchable, and, in a sense, unreal. She would be there, she was still alive, in more ways than one, but the truth of the matter was that he wouldn't be able to come to her. He wouldn't be able to ask for her help, to sit with her. She would be his eternal friend and he… he would be an ever-changing terrestrial being.

Link dismounted his horse and patted her flank. He led her gently into the familiar, narrow entranceway. The main gate was opened again and there, standing in an old uniform, was Ingo. His face still held minimal traces of bruising. He was slumped and sweaty, bending to pick up a bale of hay at his feet, obviously heading back towards the stables. Link eyed him warily, hate still burning the back of his throat with an acrid, bitter taste. Ingo looked up and saw him standing there. There was an instant, pleasant smile.

"Good morning, sir," he chirped happily, bowing slightly in greeting. "Welcome to the illustrious Lon Lon Ranch, home to the magnificent Lon Lon Milk. Feel free to look around. If you should need any help, please call me. My name is Ingo. I'm very pleased to be of service, sir."

Link stared at him a little longer, then, finally, her murmured, "Thank you."

Ingo continued on into the stables with his bale of hay. Link waited until he was out of sight, staring at the door for a while. Something had happened after he left a couple of weeks ago. He shook his head and put that aside. Epona tossed her head impatiently beside him and he caressed her cheek. With a heavy sigh, Link stepped past the gate, the precious, green expanse of the Ranch greeting his eyes.

He searched the premises, looking for the flare of red. There, coming from the corral, was a shock of fire. In the air came the softly hummed notes he knew so well. He let go of Epona's reins, walked a few steps further, and stopped, staring at her. She was walking forwards with her head bent, humming, and carrying a now empty pail with her.

Malon looked up, her eyes sliding past the figure standing in front of her, and then snapping back. She froze. The pail slipped from her fingers and her hands came up to cover her gaping mouth. Tears brimmed in her beautiful, powder-blue eyes.

Link stood, simply staring at her. He waited, a look of pain, of yearning, of helpless hopelessness written over his features. Time stood still. The breeze ceased to blow, the noises in the background filtered out, and it suddenly felt as if the world had come to a grinding halt beneath their feet.

And then, with a sudden, choked, tear-filled gasp, Malon surge forward. She lunged at him, suddenly there. She threw her arms around Link's neck and squeezed tightly. He responded instantly, wrapping her up just as tightly. He ignored the pain in his side and the fresh wounds that were being ripped at. Her suddenly, wonderful warmth made all that disappear, nonexistent, not important. He buried his face in the slope of her shoulder, thick, flaming locks sliding over his nose. He heard her whimpering in his ear, felt wet tears dripping onto his neck.

They stood like that for a long time, oblivious to anything else that was going on around them. Finally, the grips slackened and Malon slipped back down onto the flats of her feet and stared up at him. Link gently drew a calloused thumb under her eyes, wiping the remnants of 

tears clean. She cupped his face carefully, pushing the shaggy locks of blond hair out of his eyes for a mere moment.

"I missed you," she said.

Link nodded.

"I missed you too, Malon," he said softly. "More than you know."


	14. Answering the Call of Darkness

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back! (boom-bam baby's in order...) Anyhow, sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review.

He was so far past pain, so far past hurt and heat and anything that resembled human emotion. Little droplets of fire rained down and singed him, sending the scent of burning flesh into the thick, fetid air. There was a deep, deafening roar and Link watched as an angry, bleeding Volvagia came wheeling down from the fire-filled sky.

"Watch out!" Navi warned in her high, piercing voice.

But Link didn't move. He watched through blurry, exhausted eyes as the fire dragon spiraled closer and closer to him. He gasped for air, but there was no relief as his lungs were coated with the hot, sticky oxygen that rushed in to meet them. He shook his head.

"I can't," he murmured through the blood that had pooled in his mouth. It streamed out in a thin line down his lip and onto his chin. "No more. I can't."

"Link, you have to. Link… LINK!"

Navi yelled as Volvagia, enraged, swiped a razor sharp claw at the young hero and sent him flying through the air. There was a deep grunt and a small, heart-wrenching cry of pain as the boy sprawled through the air. There was another grunt as his body hit the hard, packed earth and he slid, almost to the end of the arena. He rolled through another lava pit, steam hissing as sweat droplets fell into the melted fire. There was sudden, explosive pain, then a dim relief as he continued to roll past it, stopping just on the other side. He whimpered, broken and burned, still magically holding onto the painfully heavy hammer in his bloody hands. Volvagia disappeared into another one of the lava pits.

"Link… Link, get up. Please," Navi beseeched in a tear-filled whimper, trying, to no avail, to lift her partner's head. She drew her luminous hands back, sticky with fresh blood. "Please, Link, fight this…"

His head was a swirling mass of images, smells and sounds. His eyes blurred and blackened. The heat disappeared suddenly as a gray, foggy haze consumed him. He felt the sudden cool, refreshing water of Zora's Domain sliding over his bare shoulders. He faded into a deep, wonderful darkness as the hearty grunts of the Gorons feasting filled his ears, echoing in the background. And then it was a flurry of dappled sunlight shining in through the thick blanket of trees in the eerily comforting Lost Woods. The twinkling sound of a familiar laugh… Saria's laugh. Darkness enveloped him again. There was the smell of hay, of grass and sunlight and of wood being burned under a stove from a distance. A sudden flash of red, of powder-blue… and then a song. The familiar, cherished notes hung in the air. They were sung in the rich, beautiful tone he had come to yearn for. And suddenly, with a flash of brilliant clarity, the only vivid, palatable image struck him. Malon's grin widened on the sweet, happy face. She reached out to him.

Something stirred in him. A violent shock ran through his heart and his eyes ripped open. There was a sudden strength.

"No," he murmured.

He pushed himself up off the floor, pushed past the pain, the intolerable pain, pushed away the sweet, intoxicating darkness, and stood firmly on his feet. He couldn't lose everything. He couldn't let go of everything he'd gained, everything that mattered. Volvagia erupted from the lava pit in front of him with a grotesque, brazen roar. The drops of magma that flew from his scaled body burned Link before sliding off , but he ignored them. His grip tightened on the legendary hammer.

"No!" he yelled, raising the hammer high over his head.

There was a shrill, piercing cry and Volvagia crumpled before him. He dropped the heavy hammer and reached back. There was a glint of light that trailed from his scabbard as he pulled forth his sword. Link yelled, an unearthly sound, as he struck, jabbing forwards and catching the lava beast between the eyes. Another hideous wail stung in the air and Volvagia slipped limply into the lava, Link's blade retracting, spurting blood from the deep, fatal wound. Volvagia emerged again, fighting his way into the air as blood flowed, covering his eyes, thrashing and blind. With his final death throws he smashed heavily into the ceiling causing a bombardment of heavy rocks to fall through the air. But Link didn't move, the rocks crashing mere inches around him, watching the dragon writhe until, at last, he dropped to the ground before him, dead.

There was a sudden silence, nothing but the bubbling of the molten pits strewn about the arena floor filling the air. Link's breathing was rough and ragged. A sudden, sharp tang struck out as his sword slipped from his grasp and clattered heavily to the floor. Link sagged. Navi came to him then, perching herself by his ear.

"Just a little longer, Link," she promised. "Just a little longer."

With a trail of shimmering, wavering sparkles she flew towards the downed beast and hovered. He had seen her do this many times before, enough to know that a small, temporary relief was coming. She pulled forth a crystallized mass that she arranged into the sharp of a heart with supple movement of the air in front of her. She came back and presented it to him. Link took it greedily and didn't hesitate to pop it in his mouth. The life essence melted on his tongue and slipped refreshingly down his burnt and sore throat. Never before had the sudden, sweet coolness in his mouth ever taste so wonderful. He felt the crystallized essence pulse through his veins, giving him the ability to stand erect, though still weary, still battered, still hanging on by a thread.

Navi then aimed her lithe hands downward and a bright blue beam of light emerged. Link bent, picked up his sword, then picked up his hammer and stepped into it.

It was odd how for the next hour, while he was transported up to the Chamber of Sages, he was able to stand straight and give the appearance of being somewhat fine. It seemed as if the adrenaline that was still pumping viciously through his body was still keeping him up. Darunia spoke to him gratefully, smiling at his old friend with pride. Link accepted the medallion he offered, and his help. Then he was beamed down once more into the eerie, lonely Temple of Time.

And then, Link suddenly sagged. Navi whispered small words of comfort to him at his ear. The world blurred before him as he stepped out of the temple and across the desolate entrance. He fumbled down the steps, wincing in utter agony as his wounds were jarred.

The world was filled with the sudden, overwhelming song of the Redead. He didn't know how, but he was sure that Navi had a great part in getting him out of the deadly, unholy creature-infested marketplace, unscathed. Link stepped out onto the field, the unnerving sensation of his leg going numb sending a faint chill up his spine. There was a whinny and suddenly, Epona was there.

With weak, tattered hands, he managed to pull himself up, but that was all. He slumped forward on the horse as she began to trot, then gallop. All he was aware of was the wild grass of Hyrule Field racing underneath them. He was wheezing in stilted breaths and his eyelids dropped. The smell of hay filtered suddenly in his brain.

Malon looked up from her feet, pausing on her way from the house to the stable as she heard a familiar neighing and the sound of hoof beats. She smiled as Epona's glorious red head broke through into the ranch.

"You were due for a visit," Malon scolded teasingly. "How long has it been? Three weeks? You really…"

Her voice petered out as Epona came to a stop before her and he saw the realization dawn in her eyes that he wasn't sitting in the saddle, he was collapsed into it. His eyes closed, the darkness whispering, beckoning to him.

"Link?" Malon asked, fear seeping into her tone.

With a sudden scrape, he slipped off the saddle and thudded, dead weight, to the floor.

"Link!" Malon screeched, running forwards.

She grabbed at him frantically and stopped suddenly. There was a stilted gasp as something wet met her hands. She looked down at them in horror. Blood. Her hands were covered in the sticky, grotesque stuff. She flipped her friend over, half onto her. He was covered in scratches and burns, bruises and blood. He was drawing in laborious breaths, and his eyes were blinking, long and slow in weary rhythm.

"Oh Lord," Malon cried, petrified tears seeping down her cheeks. "What happened to you? What have you done?"

The image of her face blurred before him. _Don't cry, _he wanted to tell her. He wanted to lift his hand to her face and wipe the tears from her cheeks. But all he could do was shut his eyes and let the darkness consume him.

In the last moments before he completely seeped under the calming, wonderful influence of the darkness, he heard her yell.

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP!"


	15. A Lack of Courage

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I HAVE RETURNED!!!! I want to apologize to everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) for the extensive and overly long delay. I have been crazy-busy and today is the first chance I got to do a little updating. Thanks to everyone who waited so patiently and to everyone who reviewed. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. If you do like it, tell me in a review! If you don't, keep it to yourself. J/K, if there's something you don't like, let me know so I can fix it and work on it. THANKS!**

It seemed as if a heavy spell was just beginning to lift off him. He struggled to open his heavy lids. Straight above him was a rough block of white. But not the white of clouds he realized. He turned his head slightly and his eyes met with a door and next to that, a simple wooden dresser. He'd seen that dresser and doorway before. His mind was beginning to pick up speed and connect the two ideas together when a drawn and hollow voice spoke from beside him.

"You were asleep for almost two weeks."

His head snapped in the direction of the dry, almost unrecognizable voice. Malon was sitting in a chair beside the bed, slumped low, her hands curled tightly together in her lap. Her knuckles were white and strained from the amount of pressure she was pushing upon herself. Her head was downcast, her eyes fixed on her shoes, locks of fiery orange hair covering half of her face.

Something in the back of his brain bothered him, a nagging sensation of discomfort. He was anxious, uneasy having her near and not being able to look at her face.

_Look up, Malon, _he pleaded silently. _Look at me…_

"My father and Ingo carried you into my room. It must have hurt so much…"

She paused, her hands pressing tighter. However, her voice did not change pitch. It was a droll, emotionless monotone that was covering something deeper.

"There was blood. So much blood…"

_Please look at me…_

"I thought you were dead," she finished softly.

That last gently whispered sentence carried all her inner feeling, a barrage of different emotions lapping at the words. And then she looked up at him and he flinched, pulling back, wishing now that she would look away. But her eyes caught and held his, refusing to let him escape. Her eyes… her eyes were…

Burning. Smoldering blue orbs lashing out with every emotion that was wrapped up in her tiny frame. There, evident in the blue eyes he craved was a disturbing amount of pain. Pain he had personally infused into her. Pain and rage, an unnerving sense of untamable hatred and…

And sorrow. Sorrow so deep rooted and haunting it sung out for relief.

"I thought you were dead," she repeated and this time it was sorrow that ate at the words and the flame in her eyes was extinguished by the tears that began to well up.

Suddenly she broke, no longer the strong monotone she had been before. Grief and, to be truthful, a sense of relief flooding over her, crashing against her forcefully and causing the tears to stream down from her eyes, over her cheeks and into her lap. She turned her face away from him as if ashamed… or perhaps she just couldn't look at him anymore. She was trying to restrain the sobs that threatened to rob her of motion and control, but she couldn't stop the tears flowing in a river from her powder blue eyes.

Link stared at her, grief-ridden and feeling helpless. His lips parted as if to say something, but nothing came to mind. He watched her begin to tremble, begin to crack under the unreleased pressure building inside of her. A pale, white hand came up to cover her mouth as if to stop herself from screaming.

Link closed his mouth, pushing aside the grief. He was never one to give up, even if he believed the task impossible. He reached out with his hand and gently took hold of her arm, pulling her hand away from her mouth. Her eyes closed and she bit her lips, but she allowed him to ease her over to him. She sat on the bed beside him and let him curl her into his side, a side that she knew was covered in bruises and burns and hastily mended broken bones. Still, Malon didn't look up at him.

He softly turned her chin with his hand and looked down at her. She met his gaze for a moment and then cracked. She buried her face in his chest, her arms wrapping around him tightly. Heart-wrenching sobs racked her body and she gave herself away to her grief, letting it consume her.

"I thought you were dead," she whimpered once again into his chest.

He held her tighter against him, letting all the sorrow flood from her. He stroked her hair gently, easing her, comforting her. He placed a soft, tender kiss on the top of her head and laid his cheek against her, his face half hidden in the red, flaming locks. He was consumed by her smell, something about it easing him, making him feel safe. Slowly the sobs died down, slowly the sorrow left her and after a long while, they simply sat there, holding each other because they had both been so afraid that they wouldn't be able to ever again.

Link stayed at the ranch, mending for another week. It had been a long time since he had eaten so consistently, had slept so peacefully and had felt so good. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he was healthy and happy… though, the happiness was tainted by what he knew was coming next. He stayed a week, trying to push from his head what he knew he must do, what he dreaded to do.

There were still many of his wounds that had not healed properly, still many burns that ached terribly when touched… but he had his mission. He knew what must come. So, when a full week had passed, he took his horse from the corral, quietly and without show, and began to ready her quickly.

"You're not even mended yet."

It was the voice he'd been dreading, the voice he knew would come. Malon's words were thick with outrage, disbelief and, once again, that underlying tint of pain that still made him flinch because he knew that he had inflicted it.

He composed himself and glanced back nonchalantly at her. Her eyes were blue fire once again. He gave a quick smile and turned back before he could break under the stare.

"I am more than fine, Malon," he reassured her. "I have to go."

"Why?" she barked angrily.

"Because I must," he replied, sighing. "I have things pending. Important issues that have to be completed."

"So I've heard before," Malon said, coming around to stand across from him, forcing him to look at her.

He expected her demand that he stay, to threaten him if he didn't. But she was smarter than that, so much smarter. She knew that begging wouldn't work, she knew that threats held no ground. She knew that he had to leave, had to complete what he had begun so long ago. So she asked the one question he had been praying that she didn't ask.

"Where are you going?" she said softly.

He shut his eyes as if she had slapped him, sucking in a sharp breath. She placed both hands against Epona's flank, leaning across her and towards him.

"What is this mission you are on? What drives you so single-mindedly into battle after battle? For what?"

He gave one hard, final yank on Epona's saddle, tightening it and then swung himself brashly onto her back.

"Goodbye, Malon," he said, spurring his horse into a slow walk.

"Is this it then? The final goodbye?" she asked, anger biting into her sweet voice as she walked beside his horse. "Is this the goodbye I dread every time you leave?"

Link just look away from her, continuing on his slow, methodical path. She cut in front of him, Epona halting surprised and backing a few steps with a snort and a shake of her head.

"Is this it? When you leave and you never come back?" she threw at him.

His face was a stone mask. "Move out of my way, Malon."

"Seven years you were gone, Link! Seven years! Seven years of torture wondering what happened to you. Praying, hoping that you were alive and knowing that you couldn't be. Seven years watching my world crumble and fall around me, watching as my life was torn apart, dismembered piece by piece until all that was left was an empty shell of what I used to have! Seven years of holding onto nothing more than this feeling… this indescribable, unreal feeling that somehow, someway you would come back. You would save me, you make things good and whole and right again.

"I have gone through hell and back in seven years. I have seen things that many do not see in ten lifetimes. I have lost everything, _everything!, _everything I had time and time again, so I have nothing left to lose. If you want to leave this ranch, you will have to trample me. And make sure you do it right the first time, because if I live I will follow you, so help me, I will."

Link slipped off of his horse and took her reins in his hands, and walked past Malon, his face still made of cold, hard ice. She ripped the reins from him, letting them hang loose around Epona's neck, but he didn't stop, didn't meet her gaze, didn't turn. Epona, loyal as she was, didn't miss a beat and followed her master as he continued by. Malon watched as he kept his slow pace.

"You were dead!" she yelled and he halted suddenly, an unmoving statue.

The air suddenly changed. Everything froze, everything was still and silent and the only thing palatable was Malon's rage and hurt.

"You died on my lap," she continued, tears staining her voice. "You stopped breathing, stopped fighting. Do you know what it is to have your hope die in your arms? I don't know how you even made it as far as you did.

"All I wanted was to run away, get away from all of this. Go back in time and try to make everything… right. But the only thing that was real was your blood on my hands. On my hands and my dress and my…" she stopped, unable to keep going. "If it weren't for Navi I would have lost you forever."

She was suddenly angry again. "I think I deserve to know! I think it's only fair! I think I deserve to know where it is that you take my heart every time you leave this place and disappear for God knows how long!"

"I can't," he whispered, still unmoving.

"You can't? Are you that cruel? Will you truly cut me down this way?"

"I can't."

"Do you enjoy this, torturing me by leaving and staying away just long enough for me to convince myself that you're gone forever, only to show up and rethread all my dependence on you?"

"I won't lose you!" he yelled suddenly, wheeling around.

His face had broken through the mask, fire replacing ice. Inside his walls were breaking, cracking, and everything he had held back for so long was seeping through. Words and emotions gushed out of him.

"Of everything I had, I won't lose you," he said through clenched teeth, stepping towards her. It looked as if he was about to grab her, but he didn't, he stopped mere inches away from her. "I've given up all of myself to this, I won't give you too. There is nothing, _nothing_ that can make me. I will _die_ before they take you… I won't…" he sagged suddenly, broken and irreparable and he finished, whispering, "I _can't_ lose you."

There was a thick silence that hung around them and he hung his head, his face contorting in pain.

"You are all I have left," he breathed, unable to make his voice any louder. "The only thing that is keeping me going, keeping me alive… is you. And if they… if they find you… if they know who and what you are, they will take you away from me. They'll take you because…" a small, pain-filled half-sigh half-sob broke through, "…because of me."

He shook his head, his features twisted in anguish and misery. Malon's stared at him yearningly, feeling a surge of remorse and pity. She took and breath, closed her eyes, and made up her mind.

She stepped forward, closing the minimal gap between them and reach a hand out to touch his face. She lifted his eyes to hers, her hand, warm and gentle, softly caressing his cheek and brushing through his hair before resting on the nape of his neck. He touched her forehead to his.

"But if you let me know, if you confide in me, trust in me…" she whispered, looking at him, "…we can do this together."

Link held her gaze for a long moment, understanding the meaning behind the words. Once again, as always, she was providing him an escape, giving him an outlet. He closed his eyes and gave a faint nod.

Malon's hand slipped down his arm and into his big, calloused hand, gently leading him to the small room at the far end of the ranch.


	16. A Mingling of Souls, a Union of Spirits

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow. I haven't updated in a while and I've gotten a lot of scrap for it. I'm so sorry, but see! I didn't forget. I hope you all like the chapter and I'll try to update more frequently. Thanks for all the amazing reviews. I truly appreciate them. Please keep the reviews coming, good or bad, and thanks again!

"Wow."

There was a long and palpable silence that filled the shallow air between them. Link sat on the small cot that had become his only certain bed since he was a boy. He was staring down at his weathered and battered boots. They still had a couple of blood stains on the toes, he realized. How odd.

Malon was sitting beside him, her simple farm-girl dress spread around her, also staring at her tattered boots. Hers were tattered in a much different way. Hers were devoid of blood stains.

About two hours ago, Malon had led him to small, hay-filled room and sat him down on the cot. There, it was as if everything had poured out of him. He opened his mouth and began to tell her everything that had happened, beginning with when Navi had woken him from that horrible dream so many years ago. He told her of the Deku Tree's dramatic death. He told her of Saria's parting gift. He told her of meeting the princess, he told her of the quest he had been set on years back, when he was nothing but a feeble and inept little boy. He told her of the Gorons and the Zoras, of the stones and the medallions. He told her of Sheik. He told her of Ganondorf. He told her of all that had happened to him and she sat and listened, silently and willingly endure the pain and the sorrow of the story of his life with him.

It had been a long, long time since he felt weightless, but now he was floating and a bit lightheaded. It felt good to get that out there. It felt good to finally speak out loud what had been plaguing him for so long. It felt good…

"How old were you? When this all started?" Malon asked in a hushed tone.

Link sighed and leaned back on his hands, tilting his head back and staring at the rafters above. "Ten. I was ten years old."

"Lord, it feels like so long ago. I feel like I'm fifty and I'm only fifteen."

Link's face held traces of pain and regret. "I shouldn't have brought you into this. I should never have-"

"Don't say that," Malon cut him off quickly, shaking her head firmly.

Link sighed and looked at her. "I shouldn't have told you."

She looked at him, hurt. "You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust them," he corrected quickly. He brought a gloved hand to her cheek and ran his thumb over her cheek softly. "This world is filled with evil, Malon. Sometimes I think that you're the only good left in it."

She leaned into his hand and smiled at him. "I could say the same for you. I don't think there's even a wisp of cruelty in you."

Link's eyes darkened as he remembered that night, about two months ago, when he had repeatedly thrown Ingo against the wall. "I think there are more than wisps of it."

"There's a difference," she said softly, understanding.

"I hope."

They sat in silence for a long while. Malon looked up at him.

"So what now?" she asked. "What is your next step?"

Link sighed and thought. "If the Kokiri's and the Goron's were affected by Ganondorf's evil, I assume the Zora's are in some sort of danger as well. I think I should go check on them next."

"I wish I could go with you."

"No!" She looked at him, startled and he looked petrified. He looked at her, eyes swimming. "I need you here. I need you alive. I need…" He cupped her neck and pressed his forehead against hers. "I need you."

He watched as Malon closed her eyes, what looked like tears brimming between the long, dark lashes.

"I need you too."

Link had stayed that night. When they had emerged from the little room, it had been late in the day and it would be worse if he had left at that time. They ate with her father and Ingo, chairs pressed together, arms brushing, soaking in the last of each other before the inevitable had to happen.

Link was up early the next morning. He pulled the saddle tight over Epona's back and adjusted several of the buckles, making sure the bit was set right in her mouth, making sure the seat was grease and ready. He didn't need to turn to know that she was standing beside him, but he did.

She was standing, devoid of the usual farm girl garb, dressed in a simple, white nightdress and barefoot. Her wild, flaming hair was strewn loose over her pale shoulders and her face had traces of sadness, of worry, and of utter and complete loyalty. The horizon behind her head was just beginning to be tinted with early morning pink. The glow of gold from the horizon was reflecting off her hair and bringing out flaring highlights.

Her bare feet made no noise as she stepped closer to him and reached up to run her fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck and pull him down to her. Their foreheads touched and his hands naturally came up to grip her waist gently. They closed their eyes and their breath clashed in the cool, early morning air. They stood that way for a long time and then Malon opened her powder-blue eyes, looking up at him.

"Come back to me," she whispered.

Link took in a stilted breath and then pressed a ferocious kiss on her forehead.

"I promise you."

There was a slight grunt as he swung himself up in the saddle and left the ranch. He saw the distant twinkle of the sun on the river miles away and sighed before setting his course towards the water-people's domain.

No, he should never have…

But he was glad he did.


End file.
